Macarons!!! How sweet is it to pronounce?
Many of you might think making macarons is an ordeal, I thought so in the beginning. Actually, it isn’t! I have to agree that my first 3 trials were such a bummer, but I was not ready to give up. And this came up in my 4th trial. Though the shape and texture didn’t turn out as expected, the taste was just yum. Yes, the taste will never change. I’ll bring here the different varieties in the coming days!
–Ingredients for 40 macarons–
Macaron shells
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup almond flour (ground blanched)
1 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites, at room temperature
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon strawberry extract
2 drops gel food color (using liquid food color might change the consistency and cause color fading)
Strawberry butter cream
3/4 cup unsalted butter
2½ cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon strawberry extract
3 tablespoons heavy cream
–Process–
1. Sift the powdered sugar and almond flour and mix them together in a bowl. Please don’t push the larger particles through sieve.
2. FRENCH MERINGUE: In a separate large bowl, beat the egg whites and salt in low speed with an electric hand mixer until it’s foamy. Now, gradually add the granulated sugar until it’s fully incorporated. Keep beating in high speed until STIFF peaks are formed (turn the bowl upside down, if they’re not falling then you have made the perfect meringue).
3. Add the strawberry extract and food color until they’re well combined.
4. Add half of the sifted almond flour mixture into the meringue and gently cut and fold them using a spatula. Add rest of the flour mixture and continue folding until it falls off in ribbons and be able to form a figure 8 without breaking (approximately 30 folding).
5. Pour the macaron batter into the piping bag fitted with ½ inch round tip.
6. Pipe the macarons into the baking sheet in 1½ inch width (place a dot of batter on bottom of the four corners of baking sheet to hold firm) or silicon mat (suggested). For uniform shapes, keep the piping bag perpendicular to the surface, when you finish piping stop squeezing and pull up the bag.
7. Now tap the baking sheet against the floor a few times to release the air bubbles. You can use a toothpick to burst them and let them sit in the room temperature for 30 minutes to form a dry skin on the top.
8. Bake them at 140°C for 17-20 minutes. Then, transfer it a wire rack and cool the completely.
9. BUTTERCREAM: In a large bowl, add the butter and beat until it becomes fluffy. Sift the powdered sugar and mix until it’s fully incorporated. Add the strawberry extract and 1 tbsp of cream at a time and mix well until the desired consistency is reached.
10. Transfer the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with ½ inch of any desired tip. Place a dollop of buttercream and strawberry jam (optional) in one macaron shell and top it with another plain shell.
It will be good for 2-3 days, if stored in the refrigerator.
Loavesandfishez 